by Robert Klemko, USA TODAY Sports

by Robert Klemko, USA TODAY Sports

Marcus Lattimore ran football drills indoors Wednesday at the University of South Carolina for representatives of all 32 NFL teams, his agent, Michael Perrett, told USA TODAY Sports. And when he was done showing off the progress in his surgically repaired knee, the room burst into applause.

So says Lattimore, the former Gamecocks running back who tore the anterior cruciate, lateral collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments in his right knee Oct. 27 in a game vs. Tennessee.

"It was crazy," he told USA TODAY Sports when reacting to the ovation. "I did not expect that at all. Pretty much every scout came up to me and said that was amazing and inspiring."

Lattimore, who has been training and rehabilitating in Gulf Breeze, Fla., with orthopedic surgeon James Andrews, says he has visits scheduled with the New England Patriots and St. Louis Rams prior to next month's draft.

He plans on being ready to play by midseason, if not Week 1.

"The goal is to be ready," Lattimore says. "You never know what will happen. I'll probably have to slow down a little bit. No doubt if not the beginning of the season, (then) the middle of the season."

Lattimore performed 15 minutes of agility drills on a track-like surface Wednesday before catching passes at the stadium from current and former South Carolina quarterbacks during the school's pro day. Lattimore's camp originally wasn't sure if he needed to work out to improve or solidify his stock, but the running back insisted on it. He is projected as a mid-round choice despite having both his sophomore and junior seasons ended by knee injuries.

"I just wanted to do something before the draft, and I felt like this was good because I was just doing my rehab," he said. "My agent thought it was a good idea. He didn't feel it mattered if we did, but I wanted to do it."

In a February interview with USA TODAY Sports, Lattimore said he wanted his comeback to inspire athletes who face similar challenges. Andrews said Lattimore had cut the expected recovery time in half.

"I want to be an inspiration," Lattimore said. "To let people know that with hard work, and when you trust in God, you can come back from anything and do anything."